Doughnut machine



Aug. 3, 1937.

`.1. c. BERGNER DOUGHNUT' 'MACHINE Filed March 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Shet 1 IN VEN TOR:

' W1 TNESSES.-

Aug. 3, 1937. c. Lat-:RahimI 2,089,158

DOUGHNUT MACHINE l Y Filed March 5, 1935 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 3, 1937. C. BERGNER v 2,089,158 4 v DOUGHNUT MACHINE Filed March 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 HG L\T /6 ,mm ,/J'

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WITNESSFS: f Y l INVEN'ToR:

www @im Aug. 3,` 1931.

Filed -Maroh 5, 1935 lll" l O A o Il ,UWIHVIESSES I 'I kPatented Aug. 3, 1937?y y UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Y 2,089,158' DoUGnNU'r MncmNE John C. Bergner, Lansdowne, Pa., assigner to Doughnut Corporation of America, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 5, 1935, Serial No. 9,442

1 `s claims.. (ci. 5s'z) This invention relates to th'e cooking and handling of doughnuts and the like; and especially to turning such articles which is4 generally doneVv forrthe purpose of cooking them alike on both- 5 sides. It not onlyl involves anew type of turning device, but also the correlation of the turning device with meansfor feeding -along or progressing the doughnuts.. In suitable forms of embodiment, the invention affordsa simple and rugged mechanism, very certain in its action, notk easily deranged, and very littleliable to deform. the doughnuts or other articleson which it acts'.r`

It can be' easily adapted and applied to present` commercial' types of doughnut machines, andi' even to existing machines. Other features and advantages ofthe invention will appear from the following description of species thereof, and from the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a somewhat diagrammatic tilted or perspective sideview of a turnover device conveniently embodying my invention, in association with a progressing means.

Fig. II is a corresponding elevation showing only the pushers of the progressing means, in section.

Fig. III is avdiagrammatic perspective view of a somewhat dierent form 'ofthe turnover device.

applied thereto. l

Fig. V shows a fragmentary-arcuate section through" the machine of' Fig. IV, taken as indicated by the line and arrows V-V in Fig. IV,

with Vone ofthe parts partially broken away.

Fig. VI shows a fragmentary radial section l' through the cooking trough of the machine shown l in Fig. IV,-atfthe turnover.

Fig; VII is aview similar `toQFlg. y'VI showingy 40 the device inthe .act of turning over a doughnut.

Fig. V111 is a sideelevationof the machine shown in FlgfIV; with its lexternal casing and,

other parts partly broken away andpartly in vertical section.` y

Fig. IX is a plan view of the'operating mechanism shown in Fig. VIII, with parts above a plane of section indicated by the line and arrows IX-IX in Fig.' V111 removed.. Figs. I and H show cooking liquor L (such as hot grease-orv oil), and a' doughnut D of ordinary annular form afloat at the surface of the liquor L, as during cooking. turning device T comprises substantially horizontal and parallel doughnut-engaging fingerl Fig. IV is a plan view lof one commercial form t i. of doughnut machine 'withmy'turnover device' members or prongs I0, "I0 projecting from a cross-bar on the end of a substantially horizontal shaft or axis li located substantially or approximately at the plane of the surface of the liquor L. Preferably; the fingers or prongs I0, i0 are both oisetioppositely) vfrom the axis Il.

'with the distance apart of the fingers I0, I0 and their angular position aboutpthe axis Il `here shown,

'the finger lo that is uppermost overues and engages the doughnut D near itsrighthand edge, while the otherl finger Iii underlies and engages the doughnut D .near its lefthand edge. Fingers i 0, Ill such as ,shown in Figs. I and II may aptly be termed tine i'ngers to distinguish them from the widepat, closely spaced ngers illustrated in' Fig. III, and described hereinafter.

tionally interchange the individual tine lingers l0, I0; a further 180 clockwise rotation of the 1 device T will again invert the doughnutv and restore the individual fingers i0.' Il) to their veryI positions in'Figs.` I and 1I; and so on` indenitely.

The doughnut lDmay also-be turned in `asim- Rotation ofthe deviceT ilar way by rotatingv` the device D'counter-clockwise. From the position shown, the rst or so of counter-clockwise rotation of the device'T would merely reverse the relation of th lingers I0, I0 to the right -and-left-hand edgesof the sition shown,-`e'ach time through an` angleof over L, or by air-jets above the liquor arranged to blow the liioating doughnuts along. As shown, a

' deiinite guideway or channel is provided for the. so

travel of doughnutsbeing formedy by a guide or wall i2 at the vrear of Fig. I andanother member i3' in front. I have found that positive mechanical means F may bei used with the turner T for feeding along or progressing the doughnuts, such as la plurality of pusher arms 'or Yanes i4 'pro- 35- doughnut: thereafter, each 180 of counterclockwise rotation would invertA the doughnut. Successive inversions of the doughnut D may. also be produced by turning the device Tcounter-y clockwise and clockwise alternately from the po.- Y

Doughnuts D may be iedl along or progressed in Ithe liquor L, into and out of the turning device` T, by any suitable means,many of which are 1 well known in the art,-as by flow of the liquor jecting across the channel just mentioned from the member I3, which may move as a travelling carrier or support for the arms I4. This travelright to left in the drawings. Two pusher vanes I4, Il are here shown, with a sumcient interval or space between them to accommodate the doughnut D comfortably 'Ihese vanes I4, I I coact with the members I2, I3 topiorm a conning cell for the doughnut. doughnut-progressing means F with its projecting pushers I I, I4 and the fork-like turning device T with its ngers III, I0 face toward each other, and the turnover shaft II is associated with and extends through the guide or wall I2,althou gh these relations may be reversed, if desired, in some cases. Preferably, both the progressing means F and the turnover T have intermittent motions, in alternation with one another.

The spacing apart of the tine fingers or prongs Il, I0 shown in Figs. I and II affords space between them for passage of the pushers I4, Il (as well as of the doughnut D) in the travel of the progressing means,even with the tine flngers Il, III in positions considerably to right and left of the axis II as shown. Such positions of engagement of the tine fingers III, lli with the doughnut D give them, perhaps, a better hold on the doughnut for turning it than would obtain with a spacing of these fingers just sufilcient to pass the pushers I4, I4 with theilngers in the verticail plane of the axis II; but it is not essential. Accordingly, Fig. IlI illustrates a fork-like turner T' in which the ngers or prongs Ida, IIIa are spaced so closely as just to accommodate the doughnutD between them-#with reasonable clearance to allow for variations in doughnut thickness and toallow passage of pushers (not shown) between the lingers when the latter are in the vertical plane of the axis II. These fingers Ia, Ilia are wide andat, like platea-as distinguished from a tine-like form such as the round rods of Figs. I and II,-to afford a greater area of contact with the doughnut D, although such wide, fiat form of the fingers IIIa, IIIai is not essential.

Figs. IV-lX illustrate the combination of my tine-type doughnut-turning device shown in Figs. rI and II in a commercial doughnut achine such as shown in U. S.. Patent No. 1,81 ,887, granted August 4, 1931, to H. T. Hunter as inventor. Except as otherwise hereinafter indicated, the construction and operation'of ithe doughnut machine may correspond exactly with said Hunter Patent No. 1,817,887, and hence need not be here described lin detail, but may be briefly explained as follows:

'I'he cooking receptacle I5 shown affords an annular channel or trough I6 for the liquor L and the doughnuts D, which are successively dropped into the liquor by a former I8 at a station A. 'I'he doughnuts D are carried around in the receptacle I5 by a rotary spider-like progressing device I9, comprising an annular rim Isa with radiating vanes I 9b. 'I'he rim Isa. is attached to a disc fast to an upright drive shaft 8| that turns intermittently in steps corresponding to the spaces or cells between the successive pusher vanes .I9b. On its way, each doughnut D is inverted at a station B, nearly opposite the introduction station A, to assure the cooking on both sides. By the time each doughnut D has made the circuit of the trough IS and reached a. station C adjacent the introduction In the present instance, the,

station A, it is fully cooked, and is eiected from the apparatus by an ejector II.

Fig. IV (which corresponds to Fig. III of the Hunter patent) shows my turner T substituted for the manipulating device 2l Aof that patent. 5 The intermittently rotating spider Il of the patent is retained for progressing the doughnuts; but its pusher vanes I9b radiating from the annulus Isa (which correspond to the vanes Il, Il in Figs. I and II) are made somewhat narrower in order to pass the turner T as above explained. Unlike the turnover device 2l of' said Hunter patent, my turning device T inverts each doughnut in the same cell of the spider Il in which the doughnut reaches the station B,instead of transferring the doughnut to the next cell ahead, as described in said Hunter patent.

As shown in Figs. IV^V1I. the cooking-liquor receptacle I5 has a gear compartment or pocket a (Figs. V-VII) which may be'cast integral therewith, to accommodate a toothed gear b fast on the turner shaft II. This compartment a, which opens upward through the top apron c of the receptacle I5, has a notch d with semi-circular bottom in its wall next the receptacle I5, and also 25 has a shallow vertical groove e in its opposite wall, likewise semi-circular at its lower end. Notch d and groove e accommodate and journal the turnover shaft II. Compartment a is closed at the top by a covero removably secured to the so apron c by boltsh. Cover a has at its lower side.

a projection i (Figs. V and VIII) that extends down into the notch d and has its lower end semicircularly hollowed to fit the shaft II, which is thus properly journaled and held in alignment. 35 Cover a (Figs. VI and VII) extends over a gear opening k in the apron c. beyond the opening to pocket a, and itself has gear compartments or pockets for a toothed gear l and a (bevel) gear 1n. both fast on a shaft n journaled in the walls of 40 the cover compartment containing gear l. Gear loverlies and meshes with gear b on turner shaft II, and (bevel) gear m meshes at opening k with a (bevel) gear 9 fast on the upper end of an upright turner-drive shaft r. Shaft r is shown 45 journaled in a bearing lug s that may be cast integral with gear compartment a.

Figs. VIII and 1X (corresponding to Figs. V and IV of the Hunter patent) illustrate the actuating mechanism of the Hunter patent, with certain 50 modications entailed by substitution of an intermittently rotating turner T for Hunters oscillatory turnover 2l. As here shown, an (electric) motor |00 beneath the receptacle I5 has belt and pulley connections III, |02, |03 to a shaft IM 55 which in turn has worm connections I, |81 to a master shaft lill, and this master shaft Ill gives intermittent motion, through a mutilated gear couple I I5, I II, to a shaft IIL-all as shown and described in said Hunter patent. Instead, a0 however of the rather complicated combination of eccentrics (I I1 and' III) shown and described in the Hunter patent, shaft IH carries .a simple 4 crank II8a, whose crank pin I Il is connected by a tion with ma. r mi n. rigs. vana vr maxe plain how the vanes lib push doughnuts D into the turner T and themselves pass the turner: and Figs. VII and -VIII show the turner 'I' in the act of turning over a doughnut D. which appears 'in the vertical mid-position of its turning-over movement.

, In Figs. IV-IX, various parts and features are marked with the same reference characters as in Figs. I and II or as in the lHunter vPatent No. 1.817,!i87 (with an added letter; ,where such diS- a doughnut floating on the liquor on top and underneath and havinga shaft or axis extending out through the side of the vessel. a gear on said shaft outside the vessel, and means for actuating said turnover device from beneath the vessel including a. gear mounted above and meshing with said rst-mentloned gear.

2. In apparatus for handling doughnuts aioat at the surface of cooking liquor, thecombination with a cooking vessel for the liquor having a top apron with a gear opening therein, and also provided with an external gear compartment open upward through said apron between said gear opening and the wall of the vessel. of aturnover device comprisingupper and lower engagement members adapted and arranged to engage a doughnutfioatlng on the liquor on top and under.

neath and havinga shaft or axis extending out through the lside of the vessel, a gear on said shai'tin said compartment. and means for actuating said turnover device irom beneath 'thevessei including an upright shaft with a. gear thereon at said gear opening, a gear box secured to said apron over said gear opening and said gear com partment, and gear means in said gear box meshing with said turning device gear and with said gear on said upright shaft.

3. A turnover device, tor doughnuts afloat on the cooking liquor, arranged to turn about a substantially horizontal axis approximately at the surface of the cooking liquor, and comprising upper and lower tinefngers extending in the general direction of said axis, but spaced apart and oppositely oiset from said axis'so as to engage over and under a floating doughnut near its edges at opposite sides of the axis. and thus tum it over about said axis when the device is correspondingly turned thereabout.

4 JOHN C. BERGNER. 

